Can you use any carpet cleaner in a hoover

A basic spring cleaning may be on your mind, or perhaps you heard someone talking about getting their carpets deep cleaned after a muddy, wet winter.

But, you wonder, would I need a vacuum cleaner or a carpet cleaner for the task, and, frankly, what’s the difference?

The internet is a wonderful place to find answers to questions you are too afraid to ask. Or, you can read this article, because we’re going to dive right into these machines’ differences, when you should use one over the other, and whether you should buy or rent.

Depending on the situation, the difference can be as subtle as between a claw hammer and a mallet, or as wide as a wrench and a screwdriver. Here we go. …

What is a carpet cleaner?

At first glance, you may think this is a rectangle and square situation—a square being a special type of rectangle. However, for our purposes, we’re going to regard a carpet cleaner as a completely separate product. A carpet cleaner is a device that mechanically applies soap and water to a carpet from a clean water tank, scrubs, and then suctions up the byproduct into a dirty water tank.

Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan

Carpet cleaners work by applying and suctioning up water.

For many people, the first time they lay eyes on a carpet cleaner is for rent at a supermarket.

What is a vacuum cleaner?

We’re going to go out on a limb and assume you’ve encountered a vacuum cleaner at least once in your life.

Basically, a vacuum cleaner is a device with a small and compact fan. As the fan blows air out of one end of the cleaner, it creates a “vacuum” effect on the other, which pulls debris and dirt out of the carpet. If you’re interested in learning more about the whole process, we’ve got an in-depth article on the topic.

When should I use a carpet cleaner or a vacuum?

It all comes down to what you’re trying to get out of your carpet. A vacuum cleaner is designed for dry debris and a carpet cleaner is for stains. For example, a carpet cleaner is better suited for a pet stain, but a vacuum should be used to tackle their loose fur.

In instances where you need to clean a mixed medium like mud, it’s safer to use a carpet cleaner. Moisture can damage a vacuum cleaner.

Should you buy, rent, or hire a carpet cleaner?

Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan

Consider this when renting a carpet cleaner: there's nothing grosser than other people's messes.

Like with most things, the longer the term, the better it is to buy. Looking online at carpet cleaning ads, they can easily run you between $100-500, depending on the size of your house. Renting can cost you anywhere between $30-50 a day, so that quickly adds up.

We’ve tested models like the Bissell ProHeat, and we found them to be excellent at rejuvenating carpets and eliminating odors. If you have kids and/or pets, consider this a worthy investment.

Hiring someone is good if you’re moving. However, we recommend avoiding renting a carpet cleaner. Rental carpet cleaners share a lot in common with laundromat washers—they’re built for sturdiness rather than performance.

Also, since it's a cleaning tool, you know the product you're renting touched other people's messes—you just don't know how gross it was.

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Prices are accurate at the time of publication but may change over time.

The instructions on your solution bottle are a great resource and reference. Please read the instructions before use

We suggest vacuuming your carpets before cleaning with a carpet cleaner so the carpet cleaner can be more effective and leave a better clean

Before using your carpet cleaner, test a small hidden area of your carpet for colorfastness

Put a couple drops of solution on the spot and wait a few seconds, then grab a white cloth or paper towel and apply some pressure to the solution for about 10 seconds

If there is no dye on the cloth, then the solution is safe to use

To remove solution residue from your carpet, rinse by using only water in your carpet cleaner

When cleaning, overlap the cleaned areas by a half inch to prevent streaking

Removing Stains

Some materials such as washcloths can bleed colors when used with solutions. Use only white cloths or paper towels when cleaning stains so there is no color transfer to your carpets

Never rub a stain or it will spread. Blot or press on the stain with a dry washcloth or paper towel to dry it

For tougher, set-in stains, try HOOVER® stain remover. Just apply it to stains before cleaning with your carpet cleaner and watch the stains disappear

Dirt & Mud – Allow any mud to dry to prevent it from spreading while cleaning

Loosen the dried dirt and vacuum as much debris as possible before washing

Then use a HOOVER® carpet cleaner with solution to remove any remaining stains

Pet Accidents – Blot as much of the stain as possible with water before cleaning the stain with a HOOVER® Pet cleaning solution in your carpet cleaner

Vomit – First pick up all large debris, then treat the affected area with HOOVER® Oxy cleaning solution to break down the stain and odor

Wet Paint – First apply HOOVER® Oxy Spot Remover to the area and blot it with a white cloth. Then pour hot water over the paint and run your carpet washer over the area

Tough Stains – Use HOOVER® Oxy Cleaning Formula. Its fast acting formula attacks and breaks down stains from grease, ketchup, dirt, pasta sauce, coffee, grape juice and more

Baby Formula – Use warm water and a white cloth

Gum – Use an ice cube to harden the gum first, and then use a HOOVER® carpet cleaner and solution to remove any remaining residue

Blood – Clean with cold water. Hot water can set the stain, making it harder to clean

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